


Stain Spreading On My Heart

by seyre231



Category: B.A.P
Genre: B.A.P. - Freeform, But Daehyun is a great boyfriend, Coffee Shops, Daehyun is really stupid, F/M, Fluffy, Japan, Mild sadness, You are like an angel, but mostly fun, caffe mocha, english teacher, idiot, lawsuit, ween
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-26
Updated: 2018-03-13
Packaged: 2019-03-24 03:38:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13802610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seyre231/pseuds/seyre231
Summary: Your time as an English teacher in South Korea is quickly coming to an end. It was one of the best experiences of your life: you got to teach excited little children each day, explore all the rich history of the county, eat all types of cuisine, and you even had a boyfriend! Except... your boyfriend dumped you and you spill your drink all over your new clothes. Could the day just be over already?





	1. The Stain

**Author's Note:**

> This story started off as a oneshot, but then it got to this point...  
> Also available on asianfanfiction

** Chapter 1- The Stain **

 

“OUCH!!!!!” A shrill cry of pain echoed around the quaint coffee shop. You held back tears as you endured the heat of your once full caffe mocha now being soaked into your new knee length skirt. A groan escaped your lips and your head fell forward in dejection. Your body was in such shock that you didn’t care to pick up the cup to prevent more spillage. It rolled unsteadily until it finally tipped off the table. You wished you cared. You normally did. But if your boyfriend didn’t, why should you?

 

The room fell silent and it allowed you to be alone with your thoughts, which was a dangerous thing at this time. You thought dressing pretty would make you feel better considering the shitty day you were having, but that idea was quickly ruined just as your skirt was ruined by a your favorite drink. It was quickly changing from a bright pink to a dreary brown. Like sludge. Like your mood. Customers murmured at the scene but did nothing to aid you. A couple people pulled out their phones and presumably filmed or photographed you who embarrassed yourself in public. Within a few moments, an employee ran up with a dishrag and hurriedly wiped up the coffee.

 

You barely noticed as you were lost in thought. You didn’t care. _’Why did I bother today? I got dressed up for nothing. No, I got dressed up for him. But it doesn't matter anymore.Why do all the things I love come to hurt me in the end? Even my drink.’_

 

You felt a warm hand on your shoulder but you barely registered it. “Ma’am, is your leg okay? Your coffee still looks hot. May I check your leg to make sure it’s not burned too badly?” You did not reply and the employee became worried. He shook you gently a few times, but gave up. You heard a lot of shuffling as he picked up the cup and wiped the spill as well as he could. He considered his options carefully on how to deal with you. Or maybe not so carefully.

 

It wasn't until there was another hand brushing against your leg that brought you (somewhat) back to reality. You let out a small whimper. The hand immediately retracted and the employee let out several apologies. Or at least you thought they were apologizes. Korean was becoming difficult for you to comprehend. You were still too in shock to vocalize to him that it wasn't the pain in your leg that bothered you. It was the pain in your heart.

 

“Ma’am?” Still no response.

 

That hand soon moved to the small of your back and you found yourself wobbling, with the help of the employee, to the back room. “Here, let me try to save your skirt,” he offered and dabbed at the fabric. In your dreary state, you noticed a few strands of golden dirty blonde hair moving up and down with his actions. You had a split-second desire to pet it before he placed you on a wooden chair. He worked carefully to dab and dry it but there was still a large, stubborn stain. He laughed awkwardly. “Sorry. I think it's ruined. I can make you another caffe mocha, i-if you want? No charge.”

 

You let out a little breath and shook your head. Honestly, you just wanted to go home. It was only 1:23 P.M and this day just continued to take a turn for the worst. Right now, you wished to just sleep this day away and pretend it never happened. To feel that you were still happy. Or at least, be able to fake that happiness.

 

“May I lift your skirt up to apply this ointment? I don’t want your burn to get infected,” he offered softly. You were still lost in your thoughts when you noticed the fabric of your skirt being pushed up and a hand timidly sliding up your leg. A cold substance could be felt. You blushed furiously and swatted away his hand.

 

“W-what are you doing!” finally coming out of your daze. You somehow made it to your legs without falling and gazed at him with strong eyes. His face also flushed as he realized his actions. He took a shaky step backwards with his hands in the air defensively.

 

“I’m sorry. I asked several times if it hurt and if I should apply medicine. You didn’t respond so I thought…..” he trailed off, feeling stupid for his actions. His body slouched in defeat and embarrassment.

 

You stared at him with unfocused eyes, your vision was blurry due to the tears that threatened to spill over. You unconsciously let out a choked sob and fell to the chair beneath you. “Why is this day so awful?” you whispered, not thinking that the employee could hear you. You collapsed on the table and hid your head in your arms pathetically. You didn’t want to cry in front of a stranger. It only made you more embarrassed and cry harder when you came to this realization.

 

The employee stood awkwardly, not quite sure what to do. He was getting the feeling that there was more than the coffee stain that was bothering this woman.

 

He hesitantly stepped forward with eyes full of concern. He lightly placed a hand on the your head and gently rubbed back and forth. Your locks were soft and silky and he unconsciously closed his eyes to enjoy your warmth, a smile gracing his lips.

 

You shivered. You leaned into his hand. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked softly.

 

You sniffed again. “Not really,” you respond with a laugh. It was an empty laugh. “I don't want to bother you anymore. You have work and I'm keeping you from it. Sorry,” you breathed.

 

“No. This is fine. Actually, I'm glad you are keeping me. Means I get a longer break,” he joked, squeezing your head.

 

You finally let out a chuckle. It wasn't much, but it was a start. “If you're so willing…” finally gaining some life back, “then I would love that.” You take a breath and sit upright, careful to keep his hand on your head. It was relaxing.

 

“Today my boyfriend broke my heart. He was my only reason for happiness...or so I thought. I don't know if I was truly happy with him or if he was the best I could do to get something that felt like happiness. Was it fake? Maybe…” you begin nervously fiddling with your sweater sleeve trying to gather your thoughts.  “Now I'm just wondering what happiness really is. Was being with him really making me happy or was it an illusion? I'd like to think it was real.” You glance up quickly at the employee, but due to your position, you can only see his black skinny jeans.

 

“Sorry, I'm just rambling,” you sigh and rub your head. “But this helped. Perhaps I needed this to set me straight. Though avoiding getting mocha on my new skirt would have been a plus.”

 

“I'm glad that I could help! You just seemed like you needed someone to talk to.”

 

You decide to finally get up, feeling embarrassed by how much time you've taken of his. You quickly give a polite bow. “I apologize for the inconvenience...” You glance up to see his name tag. “Daehyun. You have really helped me today.”

 

You notice more golden dirty blonde hair flop over. You straighten up in surprise only to be met with him bowing to you. “I'm glad to help. I didn't feel I did much besides listen.”

 

You throw your hands up and insist that listening was fine. He raises his head and gives you a full blown eye smile. You hadn't realize it, but this was the first time you had actually looked up to see who your caretaker was.

 

His hair was a dirty blonde that framed his face nicely. It swooped over his forehead and exposed his ears but it gave him a gentle look. His brown eyes appeared kind but with a glint of something more. Something mischievous but playful. Moving to his lips, you had never seen lips quite that plump and you secretly wondered how they would feel, but embarrassment took over and you pushed that into the back of your mind.

 

“Now I'm at a loss. You know my name but I don't even know yours. I'm not lucky enough to see a name tag.” He tapped his with a minor pout.

 

“Uh, my name is Bae! Nice to meet you!” you rushed to get out as you bowed. A grin spread across his face. You decided you liked that grin. A lot. It really suited his face. “Nice to put a name to a face. I've seen you in the coffee shop often. I'm usually the one who makes your caffe mochas.”

 

“Oh really?”

 

He nods. “I've actually started drinking them because of you. They're really good.”

 

You downcast your eyes for a moment. _‘They really are_.’

 

“Hey, um. Are you alright?” He gestures to your leg with concern. “I didn't get to apply the ointment. And I'd rather you not get a scar.” You could only nod and sar one more time. He moved to be beside you, knelt, and applied a generous amount of cream to his fingers. You flinched at the initial touch but soon relaxed making sure to keep your skirt at a modest height. You were just being cautious. He may have appeared to be a gentleman, but that mischievous look in his eye was enough to keep you on guard.

 

“Done. Please keep applying it until it goes away,” and handed you the ointment.

 

You looked at it dumbly for a moment before shaking your head. “No, I'll just buy my own,” you insisted. “You've been kind enough.”

 

He stared at you with his dark brown eyes, a serious expression painting his features, and you felt you couldn't look away. He looked deep in thought. “Okay.” A warmth encompassed your hand. You looked down and found his hand holding yours. The next thing you know, you two are making a pass for the front door. “Wait, don’t you have to work?” you managed to ask, but he said nothing. Soon you two were on the street. There were a modest amount of people bustling about during the lunch hour rush.

 

“Where are we going?” you asked. But he remained silent. You attempted to get him to release your hand but he only tightened his grip. You gave up. You decided that if he did anything you didn’t approve of that you would scream. You knew you had the lung strength, at least. The two of you spent minutes in silence before appearing in front of a convenience store. He dragged you in and wandered around the store.

 

“Ahhh!” He finally released your hand and held up the ointment. “Let me buy this for you.”

 

“You really don't need to. I can get it.” You reached for your purse which was slung over your hip only to realize it wasn’t there! Did you forget it at the cafe? Did someone steal it? Daehyun grinned and held up the cream in one hand and, innocently, your purse in the other.

 

“You don't want to feel bad about taking my time up at work do you? You also want your purse back right?” He gave you a nice pair of puppy eyes. The way he worked his puffy lips into a pout didn't help either.

 

You shook your head in defeat as a sigh escaped. “Please let me buy this for you?” He insisted. “Please, please, please?”

 

You bit your bottom lip and conceded. It wasn't too expensive, but you didn't have enough in your purse to purchase it anyway. You decided to let him have this one win. Just this once. Maybe you could pay him back next time you visited the cafe. He grinned with victory and jumped for joy. _Such a little kid_.

 

 “Sorry,” you murmured again, dipping your head down. He only let out a silky laugh. “Don't worry, I actually got off around the time you spilled the coffee so no harm done.” He jutted his lips out and innocently scratched his chin. You shot your head up incredulously. “You sneaky…”

 

Daehyun just continued to laugh. It filled the small store well and your heart thumped. He headed to the front to purchase his ‘win’ leaving you frozen in place and alone with your thoughts. Thoughts you weren’t sure you were ready to have yet.

 

Your heart thumped painfully once again. You tried to ignored it because you thought it was due to your recent heartbreak. But this man made your heart beat in a way you had never experienced. And you realized, you liked it. A lot. And you wanted more. So much more from this man called Daehyun.

 


	2. Spreading

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently AO3 doesn't recognize emojis so it didn't display the entire chapter.

** Chapter 2- Spreading **

You really couldn’t remember how everything got to this point. One moment you were agreeing to let Daehyun buy that ointment so you could get your purse back, the next moment the two of you were standing in front of your apartment with him returning your purse. 

Oh yeah, he kept insisting to walk you back home while you were still in the store. You politely refused several times, but it was all over when he bent over to meet you at eye-level. He was at least 10 centimeters taller. “Please?” He whispered. He was close. So close. His nose was about an inch from your face and you could smell the the pleasant aroma of coffee on his breath. You were painfully aware that he had trapped you in the store's corner, but you couldn’t tear your eyes from his. A refrigerator door was on your right and candy bars on your left and he kept getting closer. Dangerously close. You were trapped by his arms, which kept you centered in front of him, but his dark eyes held you the most captive. They held so much life and they pleaded with you desperately to comply. 

You found yourself staring dumbly into them. You wanted to comply, yet you knew you should feel uncomfortable by his actions. But, you didn't feel uncomfortable with his presence….just yet. Your hand instinctively balled up, ready to strike if he continued his path towards you. You had only known this man for an hour, and even though he made your heart beat in such a pleasant way, you still wanted to be cautious. “Pretty please with a cherry tomato on top?” He husked, his face serious as he said that remark.

You scrunched your nose up at that thought. “A cherry tomato on a sundae? I think I'll pass.” finally breaking his eye contact.

His filling laugh invaded your ears and you felt your ears become warm. You were sure they mirrored the color of a cherry tomato by now. Once his spurt of laughter died down, he moved away a step and explained “ A friend of mine loves them. It usually works on him so I'd thought I would try it on you. Guess it was a failure?” 

You snorted, trying to regain your stability and composure. This man was starting to seriously have an effect on you. You decided that you enjoyed it...for now. “It could use a little work,” gaining some control. Or so you thought.

Suddenly his hand was on yours again and you were outside walking leisurely. His legs were longer so you trailed behind him slightly. “What are you doing now?” 

“Taking you home!” he chirped excitedly, his arm swaying as he tugged you along. 

What? “I told you that you don't have to do that! I'm fine,” you huffed, a little embarrassed because you could swear people were looking. They weren't. But you thought they were.

“You don't want your purse back?” he questioned calmly. 

You had a momentary heart attack. Your eyes travelled to his waist. Your purse was currently hanging over his shoulder securely. He gave it a few pats. He hadn't given it back yet. You were so wrapped up in his actions earlier that you completely forgot and now he had a fresh excuse to stick around. 

“Why do you keep doing this?” you whispered. 

He hummed in response. “Because!” But left it at that.

You figured you wouldn't get much else out of him so you avoided the topic. He said nothing for a while so you spaced out.

After a few moments of silence, you felt a back in your face. Daehyun's back. And your hand being released. “Why are you-”

He turned and he was close. Closer than at the store. He looked down at you with his steady eyes as you were almost snuggled against his chest. You tried controlling your breathing due to this uncertainty and attempted a backwards step. What was this man doing!

“Um” he broke the the tension with an awkward hand to his neck. “Are we going the correct way? I don't mind spending time with you but I do want you to get home soon.”

“O-oh.” You honestly hadn't thought about it. “Yeah. Surprisingly you were. What, do you know where I live or something?” you tried joking. It was the only way you felt any control of your actions.

“I guess I will soon won't I!” he chirped, taking your hand again. “Your hand feels pretty nice,” he commented randomly. 

“Is that the reason why you keep grabbing it?” 

“Of course! It's warm and smooth….” he mused, rubbing his thumb along yours. 

“I guess yours feels nice too.”

“You guess?” He feigned shock and hurt. 

You simply puffed out your cheeks in retaliation. “Yes.”

“Don't you mean it feels big and strong and manly?” He bragged, separating your hand from his to compare their size. “Seeee, big and manly!” wiggling his fingers.

You heaved a sigh. “Yes, veeery. Now when are you going to give back my purse?”

He interlaced your fingers again. “I wasn't planning on giving it back until you were in front of your house so... “

You felt conflicted. You were getting used to his presence, although it was forced upon you, it was still pleasant. “It looks good on you,” you remarked with a smirk, deciding to give in. Your house was close anyway.

“Thanks! I got it on sale last week. Ugghh, the line was so long but the bag was so worth it. It's so cute. It holds all my manly things like my wallet and gum,” he gushed. 

You bit back a laugh. “You're awful,” you huffed. “And not cute. Not cute at all. Take a left here.”

“I'm not cute. I'm manly! I thought we just agreed on that,” Daehyun whined but complied with your direction.

………..

You sighed out all of your tension from that day, throwing your keys on the table and flinging your shoes by the door. Your butt found the comfort of your only sofa and soon the tv came to life with a popular show. You began massaging your back with a groan. This was not exactly the day you were expecting: getting your heart broken, spilling your coffee, burning your leg, meeting a cute guy… No. Manly guy? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING! He was just a guy who happened to look attractive and pay attention to you. Okay, so a lot of attention to you. You didn’t think you were ready to just throw yourself into a relationship again. You needed time to recover. To cry. To eat your heart out with a bucket of ice cream.

A flashing green light pulled you out of your thoughts of which ice cream flavor you were going to purchase next. You were deciding between chocolate or strawberry. You glanced down at your phone and saw a notification from a Daehyunnie. It couldn't be….

From: Daehyunnie  
Had fun! You free for lunch tmrw? My treat!

You stared at the phone for a long time. You really had nothing to do or much food in your fridge so you had to go out. Sunday was your shopping day anyway. Wait… how did he get your number???

To: Daehyunnie  
Yes. I suppose I could make some time in my busy schedule. 1pm works

Did I really just agree? What happened to my rest and relaxation? What about my ice cream!

From: Daehyunnie  
Awesome! I'll pick you up!

Right. He knows where I live. 

To: Daehyunnie  
See you then :)

‘Did I really just put a smiley face? I really hope I don't regret that later…’ But somehow, even through all this, the emoji put a smile on your lips. You couldn't deny that you were becoming excited for this get together-or would it be a date? Well, you were getting a free meal out of this either way. And Daehyun didn't seem like such a bad guy. If you were being perfectly honest, this was the most interesting interaction you'd had with another guy...probably ever.

Your phone flashed green again.

From: Daehyunnie  
I'm almost home but I'm missing your hand in mine. So warm… :(

You felt the ghost of his thumb stroking yours and you suddenly missed it. Your heart sped up as your thumbs hovered over the keyboard, at a loss for a response.

To: Daehyunnie  
Me 2  
Your manly hands 

You sent the last part quickly to joke with him. You were feeling a little adventurous now, but that enthusiasm scared you. You dropped your phone vowing you would not respond...at least for a little while. 

“I guess I should figure out what to wear. I need to call my friend about this…” You hesitantly picked up your phone again, relieved to see he hadn’t made a comment back yet, and called your closest friend to explain about your day. 

……  
The next day  
Daehyun’s POV

Daehyun strode up to your front door with a small package in his left hand. He wore a fitted light blue shirt and skinny jeans. He stood hesitantly, pretending to admire the woodworking of the door even though it was just a solid white wood. The blonde examined every crack and chip and smooth patch. He was stalling and he knew it, but he was also incredibly early and he knew that. He convinced himself that he would need the extra time in case he got lost, but that was a lie. The distance between their houses was minimal, only a 20 minute walk- or in Daehyun’s case a 10 minute jog. He didn’t even realize that he was practically running until he glanced up at the apartment complex sign. Oh god, he felt lame.

‘Okay Dae, you can knock on her door in a couple minutes. Calm down…’

He was not given that moment because the next thing he knew the door swung open with an incredibly surprised old lady standing dauntingly in front of him. “Um, I-I think I have the wrong apartment!” he stammered, moving on to the next door. 

He stood in front of this door praying that it was the correct one. He glanced down. ‘Right, there was a flower pot in front of her door, this should be her apartment.’ 

Just like the previous apartment, the door swung open suddenly.

…..  
Your POV  
There was a gentle knock on the wall. You glanced at the clock. You still had about 25 minutes until the date… or get together…. Whatever it was.

“I wonder what Mrs. Lee wants,” you murmured. You were dressed and ready, you wouldn’t admit that you were incredibly excited. You had convinced yourself that you were in it for the food...and to feel his hand against yours again. You could lie and think that he wasn’t attractive or that he was annoying, but couldn’t deny that his hand felt amazing against yours.

A stupid smile plastered itself to your face as you opened your front door and promptly ran into something hard. No, someone.

“Ow.” You rubbed at your nose and forehead. You were pretty sure there was a red mark.

“Sorry! The door opened so suddenly and I didn’t think…”

“Daehyun? Why are you here so early?” you queried still rubbing your nose.

“How did you know I was out here so early?” he countered with the most shock face you had even seen on someone. It was rather amusing.

You finally looked up and met his shocked expression. Your mouth opened to retort but all that fell out were giggles and snorts. You doubled over and clutched your sides. Seriously, his face! “Because, I’m magic!” you joked breathlessly, tears threatening to spill over. He just pouted, a tint of red appearing on his cheeks. 

“You are,” he mumbled, but you were lost in your own world. Once you calmed down, you alerted him that your neighbor had needed you. With cheeks still painted red, you padded over to her door and you found it slightly ajar. “Mrs. Lee? Did you need me?”

The elderly woman appeared through the crack, her eyes shined. “Oh no dear, I got it. Sorry to bother you. And have fun on your date,” she promptly shut the door before you could respond that it was totally not a date. Just a get-together. You coughed awkwardly and turned toward the man.

“Well, since you’re here and I’m ready, I guess we can just go? Let me grab my purse first,” you eyed him suspiciously. He flashed an innocent smile before presenting you a small package. “Just some chocolate. A peace offering? It’s a variety pack because I didn’t know what kind you liked…” You grinned and took it into the apartment, appearing with your purse securely at your waist. His palm extended out and you took it without hesitation. You had been dying to hold his hand again but you would never admit that to him seriously. At least, not yet.

He closed his eyes, reveling in the feeling. He began stroking your thumb again as you walked by his side following him. He never mentioned where they would be eating.

Breaking the silence you said, “Mrs. Lee will knock on the wall to get my attention. Sometimes she needs help taking out the trash or preparing dinner. Other times she makes extra cookies or just wants to talk. It's strange. It's like she knew you were outside.”

“Hmmmm,” he hummed in response. 

“You're awfully quiet. Are you okay?” you queried.

At first he just stared straight ahead, but his eyes soon met yours. They felt gentle and reassuring and his classic smile spread across his face. “Being with you makes my heart beat fast,” he confessed. “But I was also taking the time to appreciate your hand in mine. I really missed it last night. It fits so perfectly in mine,” he pulled your connected fingers up and wiggled them to emphasize his point. 

You were speechless. Your ex-boyfriend never spoke to you so sweetly so you weren't sure how to respond. “This is the first time someone has ever confessed that to me,” you whispered. 

“Your old boyfriend didn't appreciate you, did he?”

“No.” You bit your lip debating how much to divulge. “Looking back on it, I don't know why I was with him. He was nice at first but he didn't make me happy. He was just an excuse to everyone that I could have a boyfriend while in Korea.”

The two of you wandered into a quaint pizzeria and were quickly seated. “How long have you been in Korea? Where are you from originally?” he asked politely, giving you his full attention.

“Since it's June, I guess it's been almost a whole year. I came in August to teach English to kids. I fell so in love that so I will probably renew my contract another year,” you nodded at the memory. “Ah, I'm from the United States in a state called Ohio. This is the first time I have travelled so far from home. But I love it here.” Your eyes were gleaming as you spoke. “The language, the culture, the food, the people. I just love it!” you stated enthusiastically. 

“You speak so well, Bae,” he complimented truthfully. 

“I practiced diligently before I came here. I wanted to speak well enough so I could communicate. I came to teach, but I also wanted to promote peace and cultural understanding. The best way to do that is to learn the language!”

“It seems to be paying off,” he breathed. “Maybe you could teach me some English?” He perked up. “I would be so lucky to be taught by such a sexy woman.” He laughed.

“Hey!” Before you could retort, the pizzas were presented. Daehyun picked up a slice and gestured to it with his eyes. You gave him a questioning look as he moved it closer to your face. You eyed it before allowing it your mouth. “Good?”

You chewed before nodding in agreement. 

He sat up straight, leaning over with an expectant look. Your eyes connected with the pizza you had claimed and then to him. He looked like a baby bird eager for a meal. “Really?” you whispered. He nodded excitedly. You let out a breath and gave in, thrusting the pizza towards his mouth. 

“You're right, it is good!” You noted he looked like a child eating his favorite food. And that made you heart thump. You had a desire to keep that smile on his face.

“What about you Daehyun? Where are you from? What do you do?” you pressed, munching on your slice.

“Hmmm, well I was raised in Busan, but I left when I was about sixteen. I wanted to pursue a career in singing, but it doesn't pay much so I work in a café. Guess I'm glad that I do,” he grinned in your direction. “I'm in a band actually,” he raised his eyebrow for emphasis. “We're having a concert next week if,” he held your eyes, “You want to come? You wouldn't have to pay for a ticket.” He shoved another piece in his mouth. You noted that he had a voracious appetite for such a skinny man. 

You had been so busy with teaching that you didn't get a chance to go to any concerts like you had wanted. If you didn't have to pay and he offered…. “Sure! I would really like that! I studied music when I was in college and was even in the choir.”

He perked up like a puppy. “Really?!” he stated genuinely. “Maybe we can have a duet! Um, if you're not too busy then, would you like to come to our rehearsal? It's on Thursday night. It's not too far from here, actually.” He appeared incredibly nervous. You weren’t sure if he was afraid you would say no or not.

You just nodded. You really didn't have plans except for grading homework and you had been dying to see a performance since your schedule started opening up more recently. 

“Awesome!” he shoved another pizza in his mouth, his cheeks full to the brim as he chewed. He looked truly happy.

….…  
Throughout the week, you met Daehyun faithfully on the dot of 1 PM at the cafe. You had frequented that cafe during your lunch breaks-before you were aware of him-since you found it relaxing as you graded papers before you had to go back to school. Now you found it relaxing for a different reason since you spent your entire break chatting with Daehyun. He had worked his schedule out so that his break coincided with yours. 

You easily filled the time with mindless chatter, slowly getting to know each other on a deeper level. Though sometimes you attempted to grade papers, he somehow got your attention back to him with a pout or a whine. He was eager to learn English-although he had learned the basics in school, he had quickly forgotten it. Now he regretted that. Each meeting, you would have a new lesson prepared for him-homework included. And you would reprimand him if he didn’t have it done on time. “No excuses!” you say firmly. He’d just pout at you before you would soften and re-explain the lesson.

By Wednesday, you had explained to him that you fell in love with the music industry. You sang all four years in your college choir, but also most of your life. Teaching in Korea hadn’t given you the opportunity to continue that singing.

“Ahhh, I wish I could hear you sing…” 

“I wish I had the chance! I miss it.”

“You could do it right now!” he grinned excitedly.

Your face went beet red and you flat-out refused. 

“Fiiine. Maybe we can go to noraebang (karaoke) next week, if you’re free? I can’t do it this week due to the concert. I’m super busy. But I want to hear your voice soon.”

“I’m not that good Daehyun,” you lied modestly. 

“Don’t care! I also want to sing a duet with you. It would be exciting to sing with you on stage,” Daehyun was lost in his own world.

By Thursday you explained that you used to compose pieces, but just like your singing, you hadn't gotten the chance to do much until recently. Your life had been one big hurried mess until the last couple months (with adjusting to life in a foreign country and balancing your work with a social life), but you managed a couple compositions. Naturally Daehyun was stoked to sing them, but you felt too embarrassed to even show them. You didn't feel like they were worthy of his praises just yet. 

“I'm sure my bandmates would love to perform them too,” he gushed. “You can show them tomorrow or Friday!”

You weren't sure if you would ever be mentally prepared but you reminded yourself that this was a positive. Actually, this was more than you could have hope for. 

“Well. I feel embarrassed now Daehyun. My dream is to travel around the world and write songs in different languages. Even though I learned Korean, I haven't actually….” you bit your lip. “I haven't written any songs in Korean yet. Just English.” Your head collapsed into your hands, your chin resting on your palms in dejection.

You felt a reassuring hand on your head and closed your eyes. “A couple of my bandmates write songs for us so you can talk with them. Maybe get ideas?” He directed his grin your way. You nodded and enjoyed his hand.

…………...

You had hurried back home and deposited all of your work related items. You took several minutes to freshen up and make sure you were presentable for tonight. You double checked the directions that Daehyun had sent via text and that you had all of your essentials before departing. The rehearsal had started an hour ago and you had already relayed to Daehyun that you could only make it for the second half. He was just honestly happy that you were coming. You moved your legs briskly, taking in all the stores and scenery. You rarely headed this way since it was the opposite direction of the train station. In no time, you found yourself entering the music hall. You alerted the guards to who you were and they allowed you passage.

You wandered into the auditorium with wide eyes, your heart thumped wildly with excitement as you followed the red carpet to the front of the stage. People were busily setting up and it was chaos. Daehyun was being rushed around and you attempted a wave. 

“You're here!” he yelled jumping up and down like a child. Even without his mic, his voice filled the room. You just nodded and made your way to the front. “We’re just about to finish- we have a couple songs left if you want to sit front and center. That’s where you’ll sit tomorrow.”

You complied and made yourself comfy. The lights dimmed and a heavy guitar intro invaded your ears. Each member strode out and began a complex dance routine. Your head began to bob along, each member having a moment to shine to either sing, dance, or rap. And then Daehyun stepped forward and belted out the chorus. His range was amazing and you found yourself at the edge of your seat. You nearly fell off once he hit his prolonged high note near the end of the song. As if compelled, you hands smacked together in praise when the song ended. Daehyun was bright with pride, but held himself together and moved effortlessly into the next song.

……..…

“So this is the girl from work?” a (duck-looking) man asked. He had black, fluffy hair and plump lips-though not quite as plump as Daehyun’s. “The caffe mocha?” Daehyun just nodded.

“Oh, so you’ve been talking about me?” you asked trying to tease him. 

“He’s been very excited,” the man grinned. Daehyun looked nervous and said quickly, “This is Youngjae, he’s one of the vocalists.” You greeted him pleasantly. “Over there is our leader and rapper Yongguk-hyung,” he pointed across the room to another dark haired man who displayed a beautiful gummy smile. “He also writes many of our songs so you two should definitely get together!” He stood next to a tall and slender, baby-faced man. He had blond hair that was fluffy and curly. You kinda wanted to squeeze it. “And he’s Zelo- the maknae, dancer, and rapper.”

“No way!” You just looked up at him and got on your tippy toes. Zelo just flashed you a toothy smile. 

“This is Himchan-hyung. He’s a vocalist and kinda our mother-figure,” Daehyun grinned and shoulder bumped the man. Himchan ruffled Daehyun’s hair in response. “And finally this is Jongup, another vocalist and dancer. He’s our shining Moon,” Dae giggled. You simply waved at him and Jongup gave you a goofy grin in response. “The moon you say? If he shines brightly then wouldn’t he be the sun?”

“His full name is Moon Jongup,” Dae responded.

“Wait really? Moon is your last name? That’s so cute!” you gushed. Jongup simply smiled in embarrassment and looked away.

“So I’ve heard that you have heavenly hands,” Youngjae grinned evil and Daehyun blew up like a tomato. “So anyway!” Daehyun tried to change the topic but several of the other members pounced. Himchan gently took your right hand in his and examined it, nodding in appreciation while Zelo stood behind. “They are smooth!” Youngjae grabbed your other hand and Ooh-ed and Ah-ed at their smoothness. You shot Daehyun a pleading look and he quickly shoved everyone off. “Okay, so I’m going to get dressed and we can go!” Daehyun basically yelled in embarrassment and pulled you with him- not trusting that his bandmates would leave you alone. 

You stood outside Daehyun’s changing room and swayed gently recalling the concert and all that had happened. You definitely didn’t mind his bandmates, and from what you could tell, they were best friends. He trusted them enough to divulge his feelings to them and that was enough for you. You found yourself humming one of the songs and closed your eyes, leaning against the wall. There were soft steps in your direction but you paid them little mind.

“Hey.” A deep voice floated towards you and your opened your eyes. It was Yongguk. He was incredibly quiet during your previous interactions so his introduction surprised you a little. You smiled in return. 

“I just wanted to say something about Daehyun.” He took a moment to compose himself. “Daehyun may seem like an outgoing guy, but he’s actually very shy. I don’t know how much he’s told you about his past, but he’s been through a lot. A lot since before he left home. I can see how he lights up when he’s with you, it something I’ve never seen with Daehyun...at least not to that degree. So, I can only hope that this relationship works. Besides, you two look cute together” he took a deep breath as if he wasn’t used to speaking so much in one go. Before you could respond, the door opened and a beaming Daehyun stepped out.

“Oh, Yongguk-hyung. Were you keeping her company? Thanks!” He snaked his hand down to cup yours. “Good work today,” he bowed respectfully. Yongguk gummy smiled in response. You turned to the leader and bowed respectfully as well. “Thank you for keeping me company. I appreciated it. I also hope to get together soon and compose a song for you all!”

The two of you made your way to the exit and into the refreshing outside air. It was incredibly stuffy in there so this air was a relief. “Thank you for inviting me. I really enjoyed myself. I can only imagine how amazing the actual concert will be if I got chills at the rehearsal!” You squeezed his hand reassuringly and swung your connected arms back and forth.

“You gave me the strength,” he murmured. 

You glanced at him with bright eyes. “I didn’t do anything though.”

He declined to respond and kept swinging your arm. He turned suddenly and pulled you into what you believed was a park. “Sorry, I just don’t want tonight to end,” and he lead you towards a park bench.

He sat down on it letting go of your hand. You followed suit. You half expected him to grab your hand again- it had become the routine- but he snaked his arm around your shoulder and pulled you close. Your head found its way to lay on his shoulder and you relaxed. 

“I’m really glad you came. Sorry about my bandmates though. They just like to embarrass me,” he confessed.

“No! I really liked them! I can tell they care about you. And you must trust them if you told them about me,” you concluded. 

“Thank you,” he snuggled his head against yours. “They have been my support for several years. I don’t know what I’d do without them. I think I would have gone crazy by now. 

“And Yongguk-hyung cares for you deeply. He just wants to see you happy.”

“Was that what was going on while I was changing?”

“Maybe,” your eyes gleamed as you placed his hand face up on your leg. You pushed his fingers down and played with each of his digits.

He fell silent and enjoyed your sweet touches.

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly, glancing at your leg.

“Thanks to you,” you hummed, wiggling his pinky. After a few more wiggles, you piped up asking, “What’s on your mind? You’re so quiet.” He didn’t respond so you tried again. “Daehyun? Are you really okay?” your eyebrows knitting together in concern. Yongguk had confided in you that Daehyun was actually very shy but this silence felt wrong.

“I know I’ve only known you for a week but… I don’t want to lose you,” he whispered.

“Why would you lose me?” you asked in confusion.

“Because I’m an idol. Because I’m insecure. Because I want to make you happy. Because I don’t want you to hate me. But, I feel like I can tell you anything. Even with my bandmates, I don’t feel that. I don’t want you to think I’m coming on too strong. I’m sorry if I make you uncomfortable.”

“I can take care of myself. I’ve been on my own here for a year. If you were coming on too strong then I would have punched you,” you joked. Daehyun’s hand moved up and you then felt hands on your cheeks directing you to face the man next to you.

His eyes bore into yours as he held your face still, though you doubted that you would have had the strength to look away even if he didn’t. His eyes reflected conflict as his lips inched closer to your own. Your eyes shut involuntarily as your face was being pulled towards his. But, yet again, Daehyun surprised you. Daehyun leaned in and placed his lips against the corner of your lips. Regardless, your hands instinctively found their place on his shoulders and then moved up his neck. There wasn’t a way to describe the way his lips felt against your skin. Any way you could describe would just pale .They were so soft and smooth and they were cushiony. He pressed a few feathery kisses along your cheek. Your mouth opened to release a few needy breaths. You attempted to turn your head so you could feel those cushions against your own lips, but Daehyun held your face still and did not allow it. He continued with a couple more kisses, switching to your other cheek to balance his action, and finishing with a gentle kiss to your nose.

You opened your eyes in a daze once he released your face. “Why did you do that,” you were breathless, like you had just run a marathon and your heart thumped erratically. You were sure your face was scorched. You placed a shaky hand over your heart in an attempt to control it but it was unlikely that it would calm down for a long time. Daehyun had that effect on you.

“Because!” his usual chipper voice returning. “I wanted to!”

“You’re so cruel,” you stuck your tongue out in retaliation. “When are you going to do that against my lips,” you pouted.

He looked up in thought. “If you come to the concert tomorrow, it will be your thank you gift.”

“Then I guess I’ll have to go.”


	3. On My Heart

** Chapter 3- On My Heart **

You weren't sure if your heart would ever stop thumping erratically but you uselessly attempted to take calming breaths. You were currently at work with a classroom full of screaming 1st graders waiting for them all the complete their English homework. Your eyes kept glancing at the clock anxiously, you only had about 20 more minutes before you were free to enjoy your coffee break.  
Was your heart beating like this because of yesterday or because of the excitement that today held? Come on clock. Go faster. Go faster!

The last child turned in his homework and you bolted, at a respectable pace, out of the building to the cafe. You gained a couple minutes and you took them to regulate your breathing-though you doubted your thumping heart would slow. With confidence, you pushed open the door and you were met with a cute, familiar ding and a beaming face behind the counter.

“Welcome, customer!” You just smirked because Daehyun was always like this. You approached the counter and ordered your usual. Daehyun nodded and handed you the already prepared cup. It wasn’t a surprised. “I’ll take it out to you,” he whispered, already ducking out the back so he could sit with you.

“Daehyun, I’m a first soprano. Why can you sing higher than me?” You pouted as you sipped your caffe mocha. It was impressive, really. “Your range is ridiculous….” You kept sipping your beverage glumly, your elbow on the table to hold your face as you kept sipping. A soft chuckle broke your depressed thoughts and you glanced to your partner, or more precisely, where his chuckle was produced: his lips. Those plump lips. The very thing you wanted the most right now. And the very thing he kept denying you. He was such a tease and it made you mad. 

“The next song we sing, I can go low and let you sing soprano,” he offered happily. You didn’t respond. You didn’t hear because you were focused on something more important. He traced where you eyes held their focus and decided to have some fun. He leaned forward so his chin rested on his hand and licked his upper lip sensually. Your eyes slowly widened and you took in deeper breaths, but you refused to stop watching. He then puckered them up and released them in a teasingly slow kissing motion. A fierce blush spread across your face when you finally realized what he was doing and it broke your gaze. You looked away quickly. 

“My eyes are up here, ” his eyes gleamed impishly, still leaning forward. He was so smug right now.

“Your lips mock me. They should be illegal,” you muttered in English. Daehyun just tilted his head cutely because he had no idea what you said and you didn’t care to elaborate, but he had an idea about what was bothering you.

“Tonight, jagiya.”

You simply huffed but you couldn’t really be mad at him. “I promise I won’t do anything,” you grumbled and continued drinking your beverage. 

You noticed a white piece of paper slide into the corner of your vision and you glanced up. Daehyun was sheepishly handing in his ‘homework’. “I was in a rush to finish this, but I wanted to get it done. You said if they were all correct then you would buy me cheesecake” he stated, remembering a previous comment of yours.

“A piece of cheesecake,” you corrected. You glanced through his homework. He had, up until now, not gotten 100%. He stared at you in anticipation as you circled all his answers.

Your eyes met his in a serious manner. “I have one question for you.”

He perked up, visibly a little nervous. “Yes?”

“What kind of cheesecake do you want?”

 

He broke out into his biggest grin yet. “I told you I would try hard.”

……..

It was finally time for the concert. You had spent the last 30 minutes dressing and making yourself presentable for the occasion. You quickly moved towards the concert hall, thankful that you attended the rehearsal yesterday. Thanks to meeting the members yesterday, you were secretly waved backstage. Just as it was previously, there was chaos. However, you were able to spot your partner dressed in tight, black pants and a red blazer. His attire was simple but incredibly attractive and you had to will your legs to move forward so you could actually talk with him. He stood, or leaned rather, casually against the counter- his shirt hugged his sides and defined his chest nicely. When you noticed this, your legs ceased to function again.

He was speaking with another member. You weren’t completely sure, but you guessed it was probably Youngjae from the way Daehyun was acting. Youngjae noticed your first and presumably mentioned something to Daehyun. You could only guess it was something embarrassing due to Daehyun whipping his head up in surprise. Daehyun had said that Youngjae and him were pretty close and often liked to embarrass each other. You just attempted a wave like yesterday and strode over to him.

“Glad to see you here!” He exclaimed, giving you a quick hug.

“I wouldn’t miss it!” you crossed your arms. “After the performance I got yesterday, how could I not come? My expectations are high, you know,” you were sure he got the double meaning. He pretended to be innocent so you decided to mess with him. A grin spread across your face.

“Daehyun, close your eyes and lean forward,” you commanded.

He looked at you warily. “You’re not going to try anything funny, are you?” His right eyebrow raised to emphasize his question.

You decided to be cute, “Daehyunnie. I’m short…” You gave your best shot at aegyo. You could feel a slight blush creeping its way up your neck, but you willed it away. This man needed to be punished...just a little bit.

Youngjae burst out into laughter but was scolded by his stylist who had to quickly redo some of his makeup. Youngjae mumbled some words that were either unfamiliar to you or you just couldn’t make them out, but Daehyun heard them and appeared embarrassed. “I guess he’s not wrong…” Daehyun murmured. You gave him a questioning look but his reply came in the form of him obeying your orders. He leaned forward, “I’m watching you,” he stated jokingly, and closed his eyes. There was a hint of a smile on his lips. Those lips you wanted desperately on your own.

You reached towards his innocent face with your hands to hold his cheeks. You could see the struggle on his face if he should open his eyes to make sure you didn’t plan to break your promise from the cafe, but ultimately he trusted you and didn’t budge. You grinned and connected your lips to the tip of his nose, holding it for a few moments and promptly releasing him. “So distrustful, Daehyun.” 

“Hey, I have to protect my innocence!” he chuckled, reverting to his erect position and then promptly leaning against the counter. Youngjae was suppressing another set of giggles. “You so are…” the other member said. You were confused by his words but realized it must have been from what he said to Daehyun earlier. The thing you couldn’t hear. Curiosity bubbled within you. 

“Daehyun! You can’t run away from your stylist!” a woman screeched, rushing in with a straightening iron in one hand and a bottle filled with a clear liquid in the other. Daehyun tried to duck out but Youngjae tattled on him. “Thanks, Jaejae,” Daehyun grumbled like a 5 year old and was directed out of the room. 

“See you on stage, Daehyun!” You yelled. “Good luck,” slipped out in English. He waved back at you, giving you a small, agonizingly slow air kiss, before disappearing around a corner.

You were now alone with a grinning Youngjae, his stylist had moved since the Daehyun incident. You weren’t sure how to act around this man, but you trusted him since he was Daehyun’s best friend. 

The vocalist turned to you, “Thank you.” It took you a moment to understand that he said it in English. You glanced at him baffled.

“For what?”

He reverted back to Korean. “For being with him. You may not know this- though you might already since he seems comfortable with you- but he is incredibly shy. When he gets on stage, he lights up and becomes himself. Just like when he’s with you.”

“All of us support each other, through triumphs and failures. Daehyun has been through a lot and music helps keep him alive.” He paused for a moment before he stated, “I think you’ll do the same for him. He talks about you a lot,” the man grinned playfully. That blush you had willed down earlier crept its way back up. ”I’m not doing anything special,” you whispered. 

“Music has helped him to live fully, but it is also killing him. I hope that you can be his anchor,” Youngjae stated. You were about to ask why it was killing him, but Youngjae was informed that the show was about to start in a few minutes. 

“Sorry, but please enjoy the show,” he bowed and rushed off. You automatically bowed back and you were led back so you could find your seat.

….....

Your mind was wrapped up in Youngjae’s words. You supposed that Daehyun didn’t have to tell you everything, you had only known each other personally for about a week. You weren’t sure if this relationship was moving too fast. But Daehyun seemed sincere and you felt safe with him. 

The lights dimmed and your mind was interrupted by the overwhelming screams of the audience. Heavy music drummed in your ears and each of the members strode out confidently. The leader’s deep voice floated across all the screams, “Warrior is back.” The tall kid replied, “We gonna rock this!” And the leader finalized the intro with, “B.A.P!” They began dancing and each member got a moment to sing or rap. Your eyes were glued to Daehyun.

You admittedly felt awkward just holding your matoki lightstick while all the women surrounding you held signs and were decked head to toe with merchandise. But you watched the men perform attentively and screamed and aggressively bobbed your lightstick to the beat with all the other fans. The beat was catchy and you were soon lost in the music.

After a handful of songs, the atmosphere changed to something of melancholy. There were hushed whispers in the crowd, but a soft guitar intro excited them again. The shortest member, who you could remember as Jongup since you loved his last name of Moon, started a short dance intro but moved aside to allow Daehyun his moment to stride up to the front and sing. Daehyun’s eyes were striking as he glanced out into the crowd. You shivered at his stage persona. The music intensified and so did the crowd, screaming out the fanchant. It didn’t take long for you to join the crowd in their cries. You jammed out to this song as well, moving your matoki to the beat, trying to learn some of the fan chants, but froze when Daehyun’s gaze landed on you. It was the last chorus, he was surrounded by the other members, but he sauntered forward and spoke in his honey voice, “cheonsa gateun neo.” He stood for a moment, eyes locked with you-they held so much pain and you couldn’t tell if it was part of his stage persona or something deeper- before turning and finishing off the dance.

You looked away, you couldn’t figure out what the line meant, but it must have been desirable due to the writhing bodies around you. You tried to not let it phase you and thrust your matoki back and forth again. Once the song ended, you could make out fragments of what the girls were saying around you. “Daehyun-oppa was looking!” “We locked eyes!” “He looked at me!” “He noticed me!” You knew the truth. You tried to not let it affect you. But you could feel something bubbling within. The next song started up and so did the crowd.

For the next hour, the boys danced, rapped, sang, and joked around with the audience. They were so earnest in their interactions, that you began falling in love with each of the members. You could see how they felt comfortable around each other and how passionate they were about each other and their fans. Before you knew it, the members were waving and saying their goodbyes. They all took a collective bow before heading backstage. 

You weren’t sure if you were supposed to meet Daehyun backstage, so you plopped back into your seat for a breather. You were certain that you had moved your arm more in the last 2 hours than you ever had in the last week. The concert hall cleared out slowly and that’s when you packed up and approached the security guard to be let backstage. 

You wandered in. There were three members conversing with one another in a circle. You approached them to inquire about Daehyun. The only dark haired one noticed you first. You were pretty sure it was Himchan because the shorter one was Jongup and the taller one was Zelo. 

“Daehyun’s girlfriend!” Himchan all but yelled.

“Is that what he says?” you asked. 

“Daehyun always says that! You’re probably looking for him.”

You were getting the feeling that Himchan had one volume: loud. You nodded and he pointed in a direction. You smiled and thanked him. You were about to leave when a thought dawned on you. You turned to the tall musician, having to actually bend your neck to see his face. Damn he was tall. 

You cleared your throat once. “Zelo, You help write songs, right?” you asked with a tilt of your head. He just flashed you a toothy smile and nodded “Back in America, I wrote a bunch of songs. My dream is to write songs in different languages around the world. Daehyun told me that we could work together?”

The blonde nodded again. “Daehyun-hyung told me about it.” This was said in English. He spoke slowly but thoughtfully. “Once the concert is over, we can meet and write songs together! Yongguk-hyung too.” He stopped to consider his words. “Phone?” He questioned. You searched through your purse and handed it to him. Within a moment, you had a new contact under the name of “최준홍”. You read it, “Choi Junhong.” You beamed. “Thank you. I am free after school or the weekends. I can help you with English too,” you finished in English, sensing that he was having a little trouble. 

Himchan perked up. “English lessons!” He rambled excitedly in Korean to Zelo, the younger attempting to converse with the older in English. Jongup had been silent the entire interaction. You felt the need to say at least something to the man, so you genuinely said “I really enjoyed your dancing. It was entrancing.” Jongup looked at you thoughtfully before becoming embarrassed. It became quiet amongst the three due to Himchan. The man turned to you, his eyes were serious.

“I guess you could say that I am the mother figure of this group and I want to protect my children.” He squeezed both Zelo and Jongup’s shoulders to emphasize his point. “I really like you, you seem like a great fit for our Daehyunnie. So I hope to see you for a while. You give Daehyun a lot to hope for so thank you,” Himchan grinned softly. Zelo nodded eagerly. “We have to write songs together, so of course!” The tall child confirmed.

First Yongguk, then Youngjae, now Himchan and Zelo. Geez, you must have made quite the impression. Or Daehyun talked you up to them. You figured it was the latter.

Jongup glanced in your direction in silence before giving a slight bow. “Please take care of our Daehyun-hyung.”

And Jongup. 

You nodded in appreciation. “Thanks. I’m going to go find him. Zelo, let’s meet next week!” He gave a thumbs up before you disappeared around the corner. You weren’t watching where you were going and you hit your head against something cushiony. 

“Just can’t stay away, can you?” you heard a familiar honey voice invade your ears. Daehyun’s lips had been planted firmly against your cheek, dangerously close to where you wanted them. “I guess the world wants it to happen already,” you sassed back. 

“Tonight, jagiya.”

“It is tonight.”

He gave you a disapproving look, puffing out his lips and wagging his index finger. 

“I need to grab my stuff and we can head out,” he offered. You waved him away but he grabbed your hand and pulled you with him. “Of course you’re coming,” he laughed. Daehyun was true to his word: he found his wallet and phone in his changing room and bowed respectfully to his members as he neared the exit- without disconnecting your hand You released yourself from his warmth instead, turning to face his bandmates. You also bowed, “Thank you for the show. It was amazing!” before re-joining hands. Junhong yelled out, “See you next week!”

Daehyun was silent as you wandered out of the building. You were headed on the same path as yesterday 

“Planning things with Zelo?” he queried softly. “What, are you jealous?” you giggled in response, squeezing his hand. 

“What does he have that I don’t?” he joked. Or at least, you thought. “He’s not even 10 cm taller than me!”

“I’m too short for him. My head only comes up to his shoulder, he would totally use my head as an armrest!” you exclaimed. ”But you're the perfect height," you bumped him playfully with your hip. “I can actually reach your shoulder.” That put a smirk on his face. You neared the park again and you pulled him along. He obeyed and helped you to find the same bench as yesterday. You were just going to sit at the first one you saw, but he was insistent so you relented to finding the same one as yesterday. When he spotted it, he quickly sat to claim it.

“Is this now our bench?” You asked softly, joining him.

“Of course. We had some of our important firsts here!”

“Not the most important one,” you mumbled.

His face crinkled up as a thought raced through his mind. “I don’t know what you’re into, but I can’t say I’m for it…”

You were mortified. “You know what I mean!” you tried to defend yourself but you were jelly when he doubled over in laughter, slapping his knee and and holding his sides. You simply crossed your arms, but enjoyed his happiness. 

“Sorry, it’s just fun messing with you.” The atmosphere suddenly changed and you felt tender hands on your cheek, pulling you to look him in the face.

“Why are you like this?” you whispered. This man went from zero to one hundred in a matter of seconds.

Daehyun’s head perked up when he heard females whispering. “Keep your head low,” he ordered softly before releasing your head and leaving quietly. You let out a whine at the loss of contact but obeyed. Daehyun quickly found the group of females who immediately let out squeals. “Daehyun oppa!” they all repeated. You were sure he was gracing them with one of his award-winning smiles but you bit back what you believed was the beginnings of jealousy. You trusted him. “Daehyun oppa!” the girls kept squealing, their matoki lightsticks waving erratically. 

The female crowd suddenly bowed respectfully, keeping an appropriate distance from the idol. “Daehyun oppa. Good work today, you worked hard.”

Daehyun just bowed back. “Thank you for attending and supporting us,” he replied. “I hope you continue to come.”

“Of course!”

Daehyun flashed another smile. “I need to go because I am with a friend,” he hushed. “But thank you for your kind words. I hope to see you at future events.” 

The girls just nodded, basking in the fact that they just talked to Daehyun. A few whined, wanting to stay, but ultimately they all left without too much of a fuss.

You were left baffled by the fans’ actions. Daehyun approached you with a mischievous grin. “I’m amazed you came back with your clothes on.” Daehyun tilted his head before plopping down next to you. 

“BABYZ are respectful and I trust them to not do anything rash.” 

You let out a giggle. “Babies?”

“Yeah, that’s the name of our fans. BABYZ,” He enunciated. “I hope you are a BABY too?”

You pretended to consider it, making him whine a little. “I guess you could say that. I wouldn’t mind being one because I really love your music.”

His head sneaked down and he brushed his cheek against yours. You only froze, his mood had taken another 180 turn and you could feel the palpitations from your heart. You brazenly took the initiative and rubbed your cheek against his, slowly sliding back in hopes of catching him off guard. He caught on and pulled away.

“Hey, why do you keep teasing me! You’re driving my heart crazy!” you accidentally reverted back to English in your annoyed state.

“Ah, this is the first time you’ve spoken to me in English like this…” he breathed in wonder.

You gave him a confused expression. “But I’ve spoken in English before…”

“Yes but…” he neared your lips again and attempted his next few thoughts in English, “this time is special. Not a lesson. Just you speaking.” You had a moment of pride wash over you before you locked eyes with the vocalist.

Daehyun’s eyes pleaded with you, something you didn’t quite understand until you decided to lean in-your eyes half-lidded. “You are like… an angel,” he attempted before finally connecting his lips to yours. Properly. You were expecting him to tease you once more but you were pleasantly surprised. 

The first thing you noticed as he pulled you in was him licking his lips followed by his eyes closing slowly and his head tilting to the left. His cushiony lips molded onto yours, your arms snaked their way around his shoulders to rest on the back of his neck and head. He began gently as if testing the waters, but his confidence built and so did the intensity. Your body was tingling with excitement. Your nose was overwhelmed by the fresh air, but also scent of his shampoo. ‘Was it Old Spice? Did they even have that in Korea? Did he take a shower before meeting?’ You melted more into his embrace, doing your best to reciprocate the lip-locking and feel more of his soft lips massage your own. The two of you engaged in a few more moments of intimacy before you could feel him disengaging. Blood rushed to your lips and they tingled pleasantly. 

As he pulled away, something caught your eye. It was a little difficult since your eyes were still trying to refocus. As much as he had his face near you, which in your opinion was pretty often, you eyes were locked onto a small mole on his left eyelid. His eyes were still a little glazed over, and you were sure yours were not much better as your both tried to regain your normal breathing. Within a moment, he gave you a beautiful eye smile before resting his head on top of yours. You were still in a state of paralysis to resist him, not that you would. You were both silent in your post-kiss bliss.

His hand rested on your thigh and you covered it with your own. He turned his hand so your fingers could interlock more easily with his own. “Daehyun,” you started softly. He hummed in response, gently stroking one of your interlocked fingers with his thumb. Your lips pursed, considering how to ask this. “Why did you stay?” He just hummed again but with confusion. “In the cafe, you didn’t have to stay and listen. But you did. You could have just cleaned the mocha on the table but have me clean my own clothes. Yet you didn’t. You could have ignored my burn. But you lead me to the store and bought a cream for me. You kept coming back. Why?”

He only took a moment to consider his words. “That wasn’t the first day I had ever met you. I told you before, I made your drink every day so I saw you often.”

“The people I work with at school see me every day. They see me more often. Yet I don’t think they would have gone to the extreme that you did,” you countered.

He was silent for a long time, he even ceased his rubbing motion. He was deep in thought. “I guess… I was curious. I saw you all the time. I got used to you coming in and ended up memorizing your order. I would see you order and head to the same table in the back- drinking alone. You always had this look when you were by yourself…. Like you were in pain every time you took a sip. One day I tried your mocha and, if I do say so myself, it was delicious,” trying to lighten the mood. “I.. guess I wanted to know why you were in such pain?” he finally confessed, tracing odd lines on your hand. 

Oh. Was your unhappiness that obvious? Even when you were with your boyfriend, were you really that genuinely displeased that a total stranger could see through? You attempted a strangled laugh, “Was I really that obvious?” God, now you were more embarrassed. Did the people at work see it too? You sighed in defeat. You might as well confess your thoughts. Daehyun was more than willing to listen.

“I supposed I felt dead inside. Even with him as a boyfriend. But I realize now that what I was doing was wrong, even to him. It was just convenient to be a couple with him. And that’s why I felt heartbroken when he finally broke up because I was hurting both of us. He realized that we were not meant to be. But it still made me feel worthless,” you could feel your burned leg ache at the memory of that day. The day he finally said “Let’s break up. I’m not happy with you. Let’s see other people.” You didn’t think that you could see other people so easily. 

“I’m sorry,” Daehyun whispered.

“You have nothing to be sorry for!” 

“I’m sorry that it didn’t work out and that you had to endure that pain by yourself. But I’m more sorry that we didn’t know each other earlier.”

A bit of a forced laughter came out and you tried to lighten the mood. “If only I had spilled my mocha earlier.”

“You should have!” a chuckle rumbling in his chest. You were both silent again, taking in the nature sounds.

“Thank you for listening,” you whispered.

“Thank you for confiding in me,” he replied. “I want to share in your pain. I don’t want your to bear it alone. I hope you continue to trust in me in the future.”

You nodded, switching your position so that your head was snuggled against his chest. He enveloped you in his arms and, in a hushed voice, he sang a part from “1004 (Angel).”

He had you firmly pressed against his chest, and in that moment, besides his singing, you heard something. “Your heart is racing, Daehyun,” you remarked.

An awkward laugh spilled out. “I told you before, being with you makes my heart beat fast!”

“But you perform in front of thousands of people, how could you be nervous in front of just one person?” you queried innocently.

“Because,” he breathed, “I really like you. Your presence takes my breath away.”

To be told that by him really made the blush creep up again and you were thankful that you had your head on his chest and not next to his. “You’re so corny.” You continued to listen to him quietly.

“Being with you makes me nervous. Will I say something to make you hate me or bother you too much so that you’re displeased with me? I get excited every time I see you, so my heart beats faster. It’s a good kind of thing.”

“I feel the same way,” you mumbled. “My heart thumps whenever I think of you,” you confessed, closing your eyes and enjoying the sound of his heartbeat. Daehyun hummed and stroked your hair lovingly.

….…..

You attempted a call and began breathing heavily when your friend answered. You were sprawled out in your sofa and it was well after midnight. You were kinda surprised your friend even answered. “You’ll never believe what just happened!” you blurted out, reverting back to your native language. “We finally kissed!”

Your friend started screaming with you and gave you her congratulations. 

“He’s been teasing me about it since we met.”

“But was it worth it?” your friend pressed.

You were quiet for a moment to build the suspense. “Oh course!” you shouted.

More screaming ensued. “But, I have a confession. After we kissed, I may have...almost accidentally fallen asleep against his chest. I mean, I didn’t. But I almost did.”

You heard cackling on the other end. “You’re so trusting!” she yelled. 

“I’m already embarrassed about it! I think I was about to drool on him too,” you sighed.

“If you can survive that, you’ll be fine,” she encouraged. “So when do I meet him? I can’t accept him as your boyfriend until he passes my approval.”

“Well, school is getting out soon… so you could come over here for break. Daehyun is always putting on concerts so I’m sure you could make one and meet him.”

“I’m. So. Pumped.” You could only chuckle at her excitement. 

“So how has work been?” you asked.

She gave you a dramatic sigh. “Let me tell you, Japanese high school students are a handful. But I enjoy them a lot. They’re quite receptive to learning English, so that makes my job easier. Sometimes. And you?”

“It’s getting better now. Let me tell you,” you tried imitating her, “Korean elementary school students are a handful, but they are excited to learn English. It’s been amazing to see them blossom in their skills and confidence levels.” You pursued your lips. “I miss you.”

“Same. Also, I just booked a flight for July!”

“Geez, that was fast.”

“I know, but I miss yoooou,” she whined.”I don’t want to wait until next month, that’s too long! But I already booked the flight… no refunds,” she stated glumly.

“You are too much, you know that?”

“Of course! But you love me! I love you bestie~”

“I love you too. Thanks for listening about my ‘guy troubles’.”

“It’s no ‘problem’. I’m just really glad you’re happy again. I know how much Korea means to you. This Daehyun guy sounds dreamy.”

“Hands off,” you warned teasingly. 

“Hai hai,” she reluctantly stated in Japanese. She gave another sigh. “I have to be an adult and go to bed now.”

“Remember in college going to bed at 3 in the morning? Sleep is for the weak!” you whispered. You could tell she was grinning at that. 

“And you know why we never went to bed early? Because this would always happen. Somehow the conversation could never end, like now.”

“You love me,” you whispered.

“I question that sometimes,” she joked. “Good night.”

“Night.” You detached your cellphone from your ear and stared at your friend’s number. You then pulled up Daehyun’s number and began typing.

To: Daehyunnie  
I have a favor to ask of you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was actually where I had planned to end this story but then my friend got involved...


End file.
